TRADE ASSOCIATION MEETS

Taranaki Daily News, 23 May 1928, Page 11

TRADE ASSOCIATION MEETS

REVIEW OF ITS ACTIVITIES. The half-yearly conference of the Taranaki Trade Association was held in New Plymouth last night, Mr. A. S. Allen presiding. There was a large attendance of business people. Apologies for absence were received from members in Hawera and Stratford. The chairman said the association was started in 1924 with seven members, whereas to-day there were 135 members, 1035 accounts were being handled and the collections for the halfyear totalled £3157, or an average of £4 Is 7d. Since its inception the association had handled 6710 accounts and collected £18,257, an average of £3 12s 7d. At the end of November there were 80 members n Hawera and 67 in Stratford. In 1926-27 1932 accounts were handled for 118 members and £6339 collected, an average of - £4 7s Gd. During the past fortnight 17 new members had joined. He appealed for greater co-operation within trades, so that if a resident in a suburb obtained credit and refused to pay the local butcher he should have to pay cash for his meat everywhere in town. Another way in which the association might be useful to its members was to acc for a number of creditors of one individual by collecting a sum periodically and distributing it. Often a trader was prone to take out a judgment summons and force the man to file, an easy way of getting rid of his liabilities, whereas if the association acted in the manner suggested the debts would all be paid in time.

Lecturettes on the “Credit System” and on the “Purchases by the Instalment System” were given by Mr. Gordon Fraser and Mr. G. M. Spence respectively. Votes of thanks were accorded them.

Before the meeting dispersed supper was served.